


Must Have Been Magic

by TitansRule



Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-12
Updated: 2012-09-12
Packaged: 2017-11-14 02:20:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/510278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TitansRule/pseuds/TitansRule
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Tugger finds Macavity's son with his dying mother, choices are made and secrets are kept. Could this kitten be the key to healing old wounds? Or will Macavity forever cast a shadow over the Jellicles? Find out as Quaxo becomes the magical, marvelous Mr Mistoffelees ... Not slash.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Standard disclaimer: I don't own Cats or any of the lyrics that may be quoted in this fic, just the way I have interpreted the characters and their relationships. I'm also not here to argue the toss over the Jellicle family tree - this is just how I'm interpreting it.

There was little to distinguish the junkyard from the many others around the town, but this one was the home of the Jellicle tribe.

None of the cats could remember where the Jellicles had come from and how they came to be, aside from their leader Old Deuteronomy. When the time came for him to take the journey to the Heavyside Layer, he would pass on the story to his successor.

He had been their leader for as long as anyone could remember, and all of his litter mates had long since passed, except the youngest, Bustopher Jones, who visited several times a year, most prominently on the night of the Jellicle Ball.

Unlike his younger brother, Old Deuteronomy had been mated with nine queens, and all had now passed on, leaving an array of children and grandchildren.

Mate #2, a young tabby, had produced just one kitten, Asparagus, or Gus for short, but had rescued a young ginger kitten from the river. They had named him Skimbleshanks and raised the toms as brothers.

While they were still quite young, their mother had been involved in a rather nasty fight with a Pollicle, one she did not recover from, and Old Deuteronomy mated with another queen, who birthed three kittens, Munkustrap, Macavity and Rum Tum Tugger.

By that time Gus and Skimbleshanks were mated as well, Gus to a queen named Grizabella, Skimbleshanks to Jennyanydots.

Grizabella had just one kitten, Asparagus Jr. Like her mate, she loved performing. Unlike Gus, however, she was not satisfied with staying close to the theatre, and abandoned her mate and son to travel the country.

Skimble and Jenny had three kittens, a tom they named Mungojerrie, and two queens, Bombalurina and Demeter. Within six weeks, history repeated itself, and Jenny found an abandoned black-and-white kitten by the edge of the junkyard. She named him Alonzo and raised him as her own.

While all this was going on, Old Deuteronomy was mated with his fifth queen, a beautiful Siamese, who birthed two litters, twins Tantomile and Coricopat, and queens, Cassandra and Exotica, a year later.

By now, Old Deuteronomy was very old indeed, and only visited the junkyard once a year for the Jellicle Ball, unless there was an emergency.

Munkustrap was the Jellicle protector, keeping an eye on the tribe as they went about their daily business. Many of the Jellicles had human homes, although they still frequented the junkyard.

Rum Tum Tugger had long since developed a flirtatious and carefree attitude that allowed him the attention otherwise stolen by his older brothers.

Macavity had been exiled from the tribe and had become something his littermates would never had believed. The only cats who knew the full story behind his exile were Munkustrap, Demeter, Bombalurina and Tugger. All anyone was sure of was that Demeter was incredibly skittish for months afterwards, Munkustrap and Bombalurina rarely left her side and Tugger … Well, Tugger refused to acknowledge that he had another brother.

Mungojerrie was the only cat who still communicated with Macavity, although he did it in secret, and it was there he met Rumpleteazer.

They had left Macavity now, but they were completely inseparable and caused no end of trouble for the other Jellicles and for their humans.

Asparagus Jr. had mated with a young queen named Jellylorum and their four sons, Plato, Admetus, Pouncival and Tumblebrutus, were just reaching adulthood.

And this is where our story begins …

***

Tugger was further from the junkyard than usual, but that didn’t bother him. He was a large tom, whose mane made him seem even larger, and there weren’t many things that would attack him.

Normally he would only venture this far if he was hunting, but today it was a different scent that had caught his attention. There was a queen nearby and he was certain it was none of theirs.

Jennyanydots was visiting Skimbleshanks at the railway yard.

Jellylorum was tending to the newest kitten – an abandoned snow white queen they had named Victoria.

Demeter was keeping watch as Munkustrap taught Plato and Admetus how to hunt.

And Bombalurina was …

Tugger quickened his pace. He had no idea where Bomba was – although she was probably sleeping in the old oven.

But if she wasn’t … if that scent was hers … he could smell blood in the air …

He leapt to the top of a fence and peered down into the next alley. There was a cat huddled in the middle of it, her coat matted with blood, and he couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief.

The grey tabby definitely wasn’t his … friend? Mate?

Bomba had only ever had one mate and _that_ hadn’t ended very well. She flirted with him and smiled at him and sometimes, when she looked at him, he thought maybe …

But then she acted like that with all the toms.

Two could play at that game.

Pushing thoughts of the scarlet queen from his mind, Tugger leapt down from the fence and the tabby cowered away. He crouched low to the ground, trying not to seem like a threat.

“Are you alright? What happened?”

“Macavity …” she whispered.

Tugger stiffened, his fur bristling. “Is he still here?”

She shook her head, wincing with the movement. “No … I’m of … no use … now …”

“Why …?” Tugger broke off, seeing the movement beneath her. A black kitten with a white bib crawled out from beneath her, hissing at the older tom.

It was in no way threatening, and Tugger bit back a smile at his attempts to protect his mother. “And is he alright?”

“The only … one … who is …” She shifted slightly and now Tugger could see the still bodies of five other kittens.

“He … he killed them?” Tugger was aghast – he knew that Macavity was evil, but he’d never dreamed he’d attack innocent kittens. They didn’t even look a month old.

“No … they weren’t getting enough food.” She admitted. “And … Quaxo’s not … strong enough … for his liking.”

Her breathing was becoming more and more erratic, and he stepped forwards. “My home isn’t far … We can help you …”

But she shook her head. “No … I made the choice … to go with him …”

“But …” Tugger wanted to pick her up and drag her to the junkyard, whether she liked it or not. But something told him that would be even more cruel in her eyes than leaving her here.

“You’re … a Jellicle … aren’t you?” She gasped out.

Tugger nodded, wishing Munkus was with him. He’d know what to do.

She lifted her head and pushed the kitten towards him. “Take him … It’s not his … fault who … his father … is …”

Tugger took the kitten gently by the scruff of the neck and picked him up, despite his squeaked protests.

“Take him …” She repeated weakly. “Don’t want … him to … see …”

Tugger nodded carefully and leapt back onto the fence and down to the other side. He didn’t stop running until he reached the edge of the junkyard.

Then he set the kitten down at his feet.

“Mother?” The kitten asked quietly.

“Your mum’s gone, kiddo.” Tugger told him gently. “But it’s okay. You can stay with us.”

“But you hate Macavity! And he hates you! And I’m his son and I can do strange things and what if …”

“Whoa, kid, slow down.” Tugger stopped him. “I can’t listen that fast. You’re not your father. And all Jellicles can do strange things.”

“Not this strange.” The kitten frowned and his paws crackled with electricity.

Tugger winced slightly. The kid definitely took after his father in that respect. “What’s your name?”

“Quaxo.” He grimaced. “I hate it.”

“Then we’ll change it.” Tugger thought for a second, then grinned. “Got it. Mistoffelees. Magical Mister Mistoffelees.”

“Misto for short.” The kitten chimed in, but then his face fell. “But what if they don’t want me?”

“We won’t tell them.” Tugger decided. “They don’t have to know. If I’d arrived ten minutes later, _I_ wouldn’t know. We’ll just tell them that I did. That I don’t know what happened to your mother or siblings, and that I brought you back to keep you safe.”

“Who’s going to look after me?” Misto asked. “You?”

The look of doubt on his face would have insulted Tugger, if he wasn’t too busy laughing at the thought of someone letting him raise a kitten.

“No, kid, I play big brother round here. I’ll take you to Jelly. She’s got Victoria as well.”

“Who’s Victoria?” Misto asked interestedly.

“She’s another kitten.” Tugger answered briefly, picking him up again.

As he entered the junkyard, Bomba emerged from her oven with a yawn. She stretched in the sunlight and caught his eye, a seductive smile crossing her face. But as she sauntered over, she caught sight of the kitten in his mouth and her expression changed to one of concern. “Who’s this?”

“My name’s Misto.” The kitten answered. He tilted his head back to try to look at the tom carrying him. “I still don’t know your name.”

Tugger set him down. “His name’s Mistoffelees.” He explained, as Munkustrap and Demeter approached them. “I found him with his mother and siblings in an alley north of here. He was the only one still alive.”

“What happened?” Munkustrap asked sharply.

Misto flinched slightly and Tugger put a protective paw over him. “He doesn’t know. His mother wasn’t producing enough milk, and his siblings starved. But Heavyside knows what happened to her. She looked like she’d been attacked.”

“Macavity?” Demeter asked in a whisper.

“Possibly.” Tugger shrugged. “I couldn’t find any sign of him in the alley. I’m taking him to Jelly.”

“Good idea.” Munkustrap waved him on and leapt on to the old car, calling for Alonzo.

“Hi Misto.” Bomba said with a smile. “This is Rum Tum Tugger, but we all call him Tugger, and I’m Bombalurina.”

“But just call her Bomba.” Tugger added, picking the kitten up again.

“And I’m Demeter.” Demeter added, trotting alongside them with her sister. “The other tom was Munkustrap. He’s the tribe protector. He’ll go out with the other toms and find out what happened to your mother.”

“Whose mother?” Jelly called as they reached her den.

“Misto’s.” Bomba answered. “Tugger’s found another one.”

Jelly looked up from where she’d been bathing Victoria. “Goodness gracious, he’s as thin as a rake! Put him down over here, Tugger!”

“Tugger!” Alonzo called. “We’ll need you to show us where you found him.”

Tugger set Misto down beside Victoria and gave the young queen a smile, to which she blushed and giggled. “Right behind you.”

“You’ll come back, won’t you?” Misto asked.

“Sure will, kid.” Tugger assured him. “Always wanted a younger brother.”

“You are so lucky.” The other kitten sighed as Tugger left. “He is _so_ cute!”

“Don’t even think about it.” Bomba rebuked gently. “The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat.”

Demeter and Jellylorum both chuckled, and the latter brought over a mouse-cake for Misto. “You’ll see what we mean at the Jellicle Ball.” She explained, seeing the two kittens looking puzzled.

“What’s the Jellicle Ball?” Misto asked curiously, in between nibbles.

Demeter smiled, and her voice took on an almost ritualistic tone. “Jellicle cats meet once a year, at the Jellicle ball where we all rejoice. And the Jellicle leader soon appears and makes what is known as the Jellicle choice. When Old Deuteronomy just before dawn, through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife, announces the cat who can now be reborn and come back to a different Jellicle life.”

The two kittens stared at her in amazement. “Are we Jellicles?” Victoria asked.

“You are now.” Jelly told her with a smile. “At every ball, there’s singing and dancing, and some older members of the tribe have their own songs.”

“Tugger’s one of them.” Bomba added. “As is Skimbleshanks, Jennyanydots … I think Jerry and Teazer are petitioning as well, aren’t they?”

“Oh, I hope they don’t.” Jelly sighed. “Think what kind of influence _that_ would have on the kittens.”

Bomba chuckled. “And Tugger doesn’t? Have you seen Plato strutting around the junkyard lately?”

“True.” Jelly conceded. “I need to have a word with that young tom of mine.”

“Good idea.” Bomba agreed, sauntering out of the den. “The last thing we need is two Tuggers running around the place.”

“Not going to happen, beautiful. I’m one of a kind.”

Bomba rolled her eyes as the tom sidled up to her. “Aren’t you supposed to be with the others?”

“I showed them where I found him. Whatever attacked her is long gone.” Tugger shrugged. “What am I gonna do?”

“Well, I’ll tell you what you’re _not_ going to do.” Bomba told him severely. “You’re _not_ going to break your promise to that kitten.”

“Whoa!” Tugger backed up, grinning at her sternness. “Since when are you the maternal one?”

“… I don’t know.” Bomba admitted after a few minutes, glancing back towards the oven. “There’s something about that kitten …”

Tugger scowled, as the real reason he hated Macavity – the reason he had kept hidden for over a year before he was exiled – came back full force. “Of course there is.”

Bomba took a step backwards. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” Tugger lied through gritted teeth. “Well, don’t worry about it, Scarlet. I’ve got no intentions of breaking that promise.”

And, with that, he stalked off, leaving behind a very confused, slightly hurt Bombalurina.


	2. Chapter Two

Several months later, Tugger had been as good as his word. He had certainly been around the junkyard more often, at least, although that might have had something to do with the presence of another queen kitten who thought he made the sun shine every morning.

A lot of the time, he stayed out of sight, keeping an eye on the kittens as they played, although if asked he would insist his attention had been stolen by one of the older queens.

Today, though, something was different.

Plato and Admetus never really played anymore, focussing their attention on hunting, unlike Tumblebrutus and Pouncival, who still enjoyed the rough-and-tumble of play-wrestling.

Munkustrap was curled up on the hood of the TSE1 car, talking quietly to Demeter, who was stretched out beside him in the sun, but if something was wrong, even her presence wouldn’t have stopped Munk from noticing it.

Tugger jumped down onto one of the chairs balanced precariously in the pile, running an eye over the kittens. _Let’s see … Pounce, Tumble, Admetus for once, Victoria … Wait._

They were a kitten short, he realised, but Jenny, back from her trip, was watching them with no signs of concern, which meant Misto wasn’t missing.

Tugger landed silently on the junkyard floor, scanning the usual hiding spaces.

“Lose something?” A voice purred in his ear.

Tugger spared Bomba a charming smile. “Yeah, Misto. You seen him?”

Bomba tilted her head to one side. “He’s curled up in the old tyre.”

“Thanks.” Tugger headed in that direction, but her voice stopped him again.

“What is it?” She asked quietly. “You usually turn up, get the kittens overexcited and then leave us the clean-up. What is it about this one?”

Tugger shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I just feel responsible for him.”

“Heavyside help us, you’re growing up.” Bomba teased. “You’ll have your own next thing we know.”

Tugger laughed. “Me with kittens? Don’t even joke.” He trotted off to the huge tyre at the back of the junkyard, passing Alonzo and Cassandra curled up in the shade.

It was a good question – he honestly didn’t know why he felt so responsible for Mistoffelees. It definitely wasn’t just an obligation to fulfil a promise.

_Maybe it was his mother. That poor queen probably clung to life just waiting for someone to come along so she knew he was safe. Or that it’s she could well be someone else’s Bomba._

He tried not to think long those lines, and found the perfect interruption to that train of thought when he leapt onto the tyre and found Misto curled up inside.

_Or it’s just because the kid’s damn cute._

“Hey, kit.” He greeted, sitting down.

Mistoffelees stretched, looking up at him. “Oh, hey Tugger.”

“What’s wrong?” Tugger asked without preamble.

“Nothing.” Misto lied. “Why would anything be wrong?”

Tugger shrugged. “You and Vicky aren’t normally this far away from each other. You two have a fight?”

“No. And don’t call her Vicky; she hates it.” Misto sighed. “It’s my you-know-what.”

Tugger was confused for a second, but then Misto tapped his paw hard against the tyre and sparks flew from it. “I can’t control it. I can’t be around them like this.”

The memory came unbidden, a happier time, when he was a kitten himself, looking up to his bigger brothers.

_“Why do you practice magic all the time, Mac? You never have time to play anymore.”_

_“I have to practice, Tug. Otherwise I can’t control it and it would be safe to be around me.”_

Some people say that cats do not know strong emotion – love, jealousy, remorse, guilt …

Some can’t.

But Jellicle cats can.

It is one of the things that make them special.

Tugger hated his brother, had for a long time. But part of him, however much he tried to deny it, was still hurt deeply by everything he had done, not as another tom, but as his _brother_.

He had avoided that area of the junkyard for so long, but he knew it was the only place that would work.

“Come on.” He said. “We’re going for a walk.”

“I’m not allowed out the clearing on my own.” Misto reminded him.

“You’re not alone.” Tugger pointed out, catching Jenny’s eye. “You’re with me.”

The matronly queen narrowed her eyes momentarily, but conceded with a sigh and waved them off.

“I was expecting more of a fight than that.” Tugger remarked a few minutes later.

“She’s preoccupied.” Misto said, investigating the new surroundings. “She’s going to have kittens.”

Tugger stopped short. “Actual kittens? I hadn’t heard about that.”

“Oh, she hasn’t told me.” Misto admitted cheerfully. “I just have a feeling.” He drew closer to Tugger as the alleyway between the junk towers grew narrower. “Are you sure no one knows? About … what I can do?”

“I haven’t told anyone.” Tugger told him. “What kind of feeling?”

Misto shrugged. “Just a feeling when I’m near her.”

“Maybe I should take you to see Cori and Tanto.” Tugger muttered.

“Who are they?” Misto asked curiously.

“They’re twins – Cassandra and Exotica’s older siblings.” Tugger answered. “They get feelings like that as well – actually, they _might_ know about you. It’s always quite difficult to tell with those two. They won’t say anything if they do. Keep to themselves really. Whoa, hold on.” He put a paw on Misto’s shoulder as they reached the next clearing. “Just let me check first. Stay here.”

He crept out of the shadows, sniffing the area carefully. He highly doubted that Macavity would be overcome with a fit of nostalgia and visit his old practicing space, but he didn’t want to be too careful.

Once he was sure it was safe, he waved Misto out to join him. “It’s safe for you to practice magic here.”

Misto looked terrified. “B-But what if something goes wrong?”

“That’s why you only practice magic when you’re with someone else.” Tugger told him. “And you never come here on your own, alright?”

Misto nodded. “How’d you know about this place? And how’d you know I should practice?”

Tugger sighed and settled down in the sandy dirt beneath them. “My brother could do magic.”

“There’s another magical cat?” Misto asked excitedly. “Who can do what I can do? What’s his name? Can I meet him?”

Tugger flinched. “You don’t want to do that, kit. It’s Macavity.”

Misto looked horrified. “You mean … what I can do … it’s because … because of him? My father? I don’t want to be like him …”

“You’re not like him.” Tugger told him firmly. “Remember that Macavity got his magic from somewhere as well, and I’m fairly sure that was our father. Old Deuteronomy.”

That cut right through Misto’s fretting. “He has magic too?”

“I’ve never seen it.” Tugger admitted. “But he does. It’s all about what you do with it.”

“Did Macavity do bad things with his magic?” Misto asked quietly. “Is that why he was exiled?”

For a few minutes, Tugger didn’t answer. They never spoke about Macavity’s exile and only six cats knew the truth – and two of those were Old Deuteronomy and Macavity himself.

“What do you know about the Jellicle Ball?” He asked eventually.

“I know that Old Deuteronomy comes and chooses a cat to be reborn.” Misto answered. “And that there’s lots of singing and dancing. Do I need to learn any of that?”

Tugger chuckled. “No, you’ll pick up what you need to do. It’s part of being a Jellicle. The point is that it also involves the Coming-of-Age dance. The ball after a queen’s second birthday, she dances to the middle of the junkyard and waits for a tom to approach her.”

“And that’s who her mate is?” Misto guessed.

Tugger nodded. “Of course, after the first litter of kittens, she has the option to leave and within the first month, another tom has the right to approach her, but the final decision is hers. And most cats make the decision before the ball anyway and the dance is just a formality.”

Misto was nodding, but the expression of ‘what does this have to do with anything’ was clear on his face.

“One year, the most beautiful queen in the junkyard was coming of age.” Tugger continued. “And I mean, she was _stunning._ She was …”

“Bomba.” Misto concluded, cutting him short.

Tugger stared at him. “How did you know that?”

Misto grinned cheekily at him. “You’re always drooling over her.”

Tugger drew himself up with dignity. “The Rum Tum Tugger does not _drool_.”

“Except over Bomba.” Misto finished, ducking Tugger’s playful swat.

“Watch it.” Tugger settled down again, unwilling or unable to stay mad at the kitten for too long. “ _Anyway_ Bomba was coming of age and she was single. There was no tom who spent more time with her than any other. I thought about approaching her before the ball, but … Well, I wasn’t as confident then as I am now. I thought she’d turn me down flat. At least at the ball, I’d have a moment with her, even if that was all it was.” He was barely aware of his audience now, even though Misto was listening in rapt attention.

He was back in that circle of cats, watching as that beautiful queen danced sensuously to the centre. There wasn’t a tom who hadn’t been watching her … although Munkustrap’s gaze flickered to Demeter almost immediately.

“So there she was, waiting for an approach, and before I could move …” Tugger scowled. “Macavity did.”

Misto was silent for a few moments, digesting this news. “My father and Bombalurina were mates?”

Tugger nodded. “I could have approached her in that month afterwards, but … When had I ever been able to compare to my brothers?”

“You’re _my_ favourite.” Misto told him, with kitten-honesty.

Tugger smiled. “Thanks, kit. I give you one more month before you’re complaining about me.”

“Probably.” Misto agreed, rolling onto his back. “Someone should keep your head from getting to big. So what happened then? Bomba doesn’t have kittens, does she?”

“No.” Tugger frowned. “No one could work out why. They never spent a lot of time together either.”

“Maybe she didn’t love him.” Misto suggested. “It doesn’t seem very fair to me, that she gets no say like that.”

Tugger smirked. “No, you are definitely _not_ your father’s son.” He said, making Misto smile proudly. “I avoided both of them – I wouldn’t know what was going on. All I know is that the next year, Demeter came of age.”

“Weren’t they littermates though?” Misto asked curiously.

“They were.” Tugger confirmed. “If there are two queens in a litter, the one born first comes of age first.”

“So only one queen can come of age at once?” Misto asked.

“No, more than one queen can come of age, but not if they’re from the same litter.” Tugger shrugged, “Hey, I don’t make the rules.”

Mistoffelees rubbed his head with his paws. “My brain hurts.” He whined.

“It’ll make sense at the Jellicle Ball.” Tugger told him. “And toms don’t have to go through all this. All you have to do is catch enough prey to feed yourself.”

“Oh good.” Misto sighed. “So who approached Demeter?”

“Take a guess.” Tugger prompted.

Misto grinned. “Munkustrap.”

“Of course.” Tugger nodded. “No one was surprised by that. The surprise came two days later when Macavity approached her.”

Misto clearly realised that this was where the story ‘got good’ as it were, and he stiffened. “Why?”

“He told us that he had approached Bomba to make Dem jealous.” Tugger’s expression was furious and it comforted the kitten to know it wasn’t aimed at him. “That was when things started getting ugly.”

“They fought?” Misto guessed.

“Oh yeah.” Tugger chuckled. “Wasn’t easy to break them up either. Skimbles did it in the end. He hadn’t been around to hear what Macavity said, of course, and none of us was about to tell him. As angry as we were, we didn’t want him dead.”

“But?”

Tugger cast another look at the young kitten beside him, wise beyond his years. “But two months after that, Demeter announced she was expecting her first litter.”

“But Demeter doesn’t have … any …” Misto trailed off. “Oh dear.”

Tugger nodded grimly, sniffing the air again. It wasn’t just Macavity he was checking for either – if any of the queens knew he was telling a story like this to a kitten, he’d never wiggle his hips again. “He attacked her. I don’t know if he used magic or not, but whatever he did caused her to lose the kittens.”

“I hate him.” Misto stated darkly.

“Yeah, me too.” Tugger sighed. “Munk and I chased him from the junkyard and he’s only ever come back to cause trouble.”

“So that’s why Demeter’s skittish around me?” Misto asked. “Because I remind her of him?”

“Possibly.” Tugger agreed tentatively. “Although she’s like that around Victoria, and she was like that around the others when they were younger. Although I think that may be why Bomba keeps an eye on you.”

“And you?” Misto asked quietly, staring at the ground. “Why do you keep an eye on me?”

“Two reasons.” Tugger answered, finding it easier to respond to Misto than to Bomba. “First of all, it’s not your fault who your father is. Second of all, if Bomba had had kittens and the same thing that happened to your mother happened to her and some other tom found them … I’d want to know they were being taken care of. Now …” he nudged Misto to his feet. “Let’s see some magic.”

Misto stood up, but didn’t start practicing. “Are you ever going to let Bomba know you like her?”

“I do that every day.” Tugger pointed out.

“Yeah, her and every other queen.” Misto rolled his eyes. “You should tell her. I have a feeling she feels the same way.”

“The same feeling that’s telling you Jenny’s having more kittens?” Tugger teased.

“Yep.” Misto danced across the clearing, warming up his paws. “Tell you what, if I’m right about Jenny, you have to _seriously_ talk to Bomba. Deal?”

“Deal.” Tugger agreed, fairly confident that Jenny was _not_ going to have another litter. “Off you go.” He settled down to watch as Misto began to shoot bolts of lightning from his paws, disturbing the dust on the ground.

_If he ever decides to come clean about this, he could have his own number at the Jellicle Ball._ Tugger stretched absently, as Misto pointed at an old hat balanced atop a junk pile and it floated down to him. _“Oh well, I never, was there ever a cat so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?”_

His paws crackling with magic, Misto waved them over the hat and knocked it over. To Tugger’s surprise, one, two, three, four, five, six, _seven_ little kittens rolled out.

“Well, _that’s_ going to be hard to explain!” Tugger commented, leaping to his feet.

“It’s fine, they’re only illusions.” Misto said. “At least, I think they are.”

Tugger attempted to pick one of them up, but couldn’t grasp it. “Yeah, they are. Can you get rid of them?”

“I think so.” Misto waved his paws again and they all vanished.

Tugger breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank Heavyside for that! How do you feel?”

“Out of breath.” Misto admitted. “But much better.”

“Time to head back then.” Tugger decided, nudging Misto ahead of him. “Come on.”

When they arrived back at the main junkyard, they found a flurry of activity and Tugger had to take a quick step backwards, pulling Misto with him, to stop them from getting run over by Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.

As Bomba and Demeter’s brother, Mungojerrie should probably have been informed of Macavity’s actions, but no one involved wanted to talk about it. He had still got on quite well with Macavity and spent some time working for him, much to his mother’s annoyance. Rumpleteazer, on the other hand, had heard rumours of what had happened while _she_ worked there and, when the two met – ironically shortly before Teazer was adopted by Jerrie’s family – she had told him the whole story, which was when they left Macavity (although not a life of crime).

“Whoops, sorry!” Teazer giggled.

“What’s going on?” Tugger demanded. “Did we get a sudden delivery of catnip or something?”

“Nah,” Jerrie sniggered. “I wish. But Vicky and Misto ‘ere won’t be the youngest no more.”

“Jennyanydots is having another litter of kittens!” Teazer squealed. “Isn’t that exciting?”

“Yeah.” Tugger answered dryly, _very_ aware of Misto’s smirk beside him. “Very exciting.”

“Bomba’s over by the TSE1 car.” Misto whispered, before prancing over to congratulate Jenny.

Tugger watched him go with an incredulous expression, before chuckling and making his way over to the scarlet queen. _“Oh well, I never, was there ever a cat so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?”_


	3. Chapter Three

Despite Misto’s misgivings, Tugger was completely correct about him and Victoria just ‘picking up’ what they’d need to do at the next Jellicle Ball, and the night went smoothly.

No queens were due to come of age, Victoria turned out to have a propensity for dancing matched by no other cat, Jenny managed to get through the night without giving birth, and, just before dawn, Jenny’s aging mother, Elladora – so old she needed to be carried into the junkyard – was chosen to be reborn.

No, the thing that had completely confused Misto was that the interaction between Tugger and Bomba seemed stilted and forced, despite him supposedly coming clean to her, as per his agreement with Mistoffelees.

Misto had mentioned this to Victoria, who had just shrugged. “Maybe they’ve had an argument.” She’d suggested.

But that didn’t make sense to Misto. Bomba definitely seemed angry at Tugger, but he seemed oblivious.

Several days after the Ball, Bomba disappeared. No one was too worried – most of the cats had human families that they visited often.

At least, several of the cats had human families, and the rest had humans they took food from and occasionally deigned to be petted by.

Bomba was one of the latter cats, and Rumpleteazer swore she’d heard her telling Tantomile where she was going … but Tantomile had also vanished, along with her brother, as was the norm for them, so no one could be certain that Teazer was right.

It wasn’t until Jenny gave birth to two queens, several weeks later, that things started to change. Jellicles from far and near visited to offer their congratulations on the birth, including Bustopher Jones and Gus, who tottered into the junkyard, supported by his son, Asparagus, and daughter-in-law, Jellylorum.

But Bomba did _not_ appear and that was then the Jellicles began to worry about her.

By the time Electra and Etcetera were starting to venture out of the den, the Jellicles were really starting to panic.

Only Mistoffelees stayed quiet, curled up in the open drawer of a bureau, as Tugger paced up and down in front of him.

“… anything could be happening to her …. What if she’s with Macavity? She could be hurt … Oh, Heavyside, what if she was hit by a car?”

“Tugger, calm down.” Misto yawned. “And quieten down. You’re giving me a headache.” He had grown from a shy, curious kitten into a slightly aloof tom, not yet technically an adult, but capable of hunting for himself, which was enough to give him that label as far as the Jellicles were concerned. “Bomba’s fine.”

“We don’t know that …”

“I have a _feeling,_ ” Misto interrupted, stressing the word, “that she’s fine.”

Tugger stopped pacing and looked up at him. “You do?”

“I do.”

“You have any other feelings?” Tugger asked anxiously.

Misto jumped out of the drawer and stretched. “Yeah. I’m starving.”

Tugger rolled his eyes. “About Bomba.”

“Oh.” Misto shrugged. “No. Don’t worry. She’ll turn up. Stop worrying, you’re scaring your fan club.”

Tugger glanced over at Electra and Etcetera were gazing over at him in adoration. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“No.” Misto answered, wandering out of the junkyard.

He was only half-truthful, as he pounced on an unsuspecting mouse. He was hungry, but something had changed. He did have a feeling that Bombalurina was alright, but it had become less of a feeling and more of a pull, and he followed it, taking care to note his route in case he got lost.

Eventually, he left the back streets and found himself outside a two-storey house with a large garden. Now he could follow his nose as well, and he followed Bomba’s scent all the way to a rose bush in the back garden, keeping in the shadows in case humans saw him.

“Who’s there?”

Misto paused. “It’s me. Misto. Bomba? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Her eyes glinted in the darkness. “What are you doing here?”

Misto hesitated. “I was in the neighbourhood hunting … caught your scent. We’ve all been really worried. Tugger’s worked himself into a right state.”

“Hmph.” She muttered, disbelief lacing her tone.

Misto didn’t bother asking or trying to justify his words. “Are you alright?” He repeated. “And don’t say you’re fine.”

“But I am fine …”

The last word trailed into a yelp and he crept closer, his eyes adjusting to the dark. Bomba was lying on her side, her stomach strangely swollen.

“You’re having a kitten.” He stated.

She rolled her eyes. “Well done, Mistoffelees. You’ve been taken lessons in observation from Tugger, I see.”

Misto allowed himself a smile. “I should get someone …”

“No!” The forcefulness of her response took him by surprise. “I don’t want you to get anyone.”

“But …” Misto sniffed the air. “You’re having the kitten _now_ , Bomba. Don’t you want someone here?”

“You’re here, aren’t you?” Bomba sighed. “Come on, sit down and keep me company.”

Misto edged under the rose bush and settled down beside her. “Jenny had two queens. Electra and Etcetera.”

“And they think Tugger makes the sun shine every morning.” Bomba finished in a dull voice.

Misto tilted his head. “It’s his kitten, isn’t it?”

Bomba frowned. “Why do you keep referring in the singular?”

“I just have a … feeling.” Misto answered quietly, silently berating himself.

Bomba smiled softly. “Ah, you got Macavity’s magic.”

Misto froze. “Y-You know?”

Bomba nodded. “I know. We were close … once … You have several of his mannerisms. Very, very slight; I doubt anyone else would pick them up.”

“I don’t want _any_ of them.” Misto grumbled.

Bomba nuzzled him softly, maternally. “You’re _not_ your father, Misto. You’re your own cat, who’s rather like a son to me.”

Misto smiled. “You’ve been like a mother to me too.” It was true, while Jenny and Jelly had ‘raised him’, it was Bomba and Tugger who made him into the cat he was now. “I’m fairly sure it’s only one kitten. That’s how I found you. I think you need help, Bomba.”

“No time.” Bomba tensed. “Here we go.”

Misto looked away, giving her some privacy as she birthed her first kitten. He turned out to be absolutely correct about the number, but unfortunately, he was also correct in his other belief; it was obvious that something was wrong as soon as he looked back.

The kitten was almost a perfect copy of her mother, although her scarlet coat was a little darker, and with an adorable white bib.

However, she wasn’t moving and lay still and silent, even as her mother nudged her gently.

“Bomba?” Misto whispered.

Bomba shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “She’s gone.”

“But …” Misto frowned. He was certain that the kitten was going to be alright. He’d never been wrong before.

“She’s gone.” Bomba turned away, slipping out from under the rose bush.

Misto didn’t follow her. He knew she wouldn’t return to the junkyard yet, not if she wanted to keep this birth a secret. He nosed the small kitten, wondering why his magic had led him so wrong this time.

He knew that Bomba and Tugger would find their way back together eventually, but this was just one more ghost they did _not_ need to deal with.

 _And the only reason they’re not together in the first place is because of my damn father._ Misto’s frown deepened, and he licked the kitten gently, trying to get some response.

Nothing happened.

He cast a glance back towards the house. There were strict rules about doing this and the first was ‘never where humans might see you’, but this was an emergency.

Straightening up, Misto sat back on his hind legs and scooped the kitten into his front legs, manipulating them as a human would arms, in a way that only Jellicles could do.

It was yet another talent that made them special and the one that made the Jellicle Ball so spectacular.

Resting the kitten against his chest so she could hear his heart beat, Misto rubbed her back rhythmically, pushing as much magic as he dared into his paws.

He worked silently, as time seemed to stand still, the entire world waiting for the results of his ministration.

It started with a twitch in the kitten’s nose, a twitch that ran down the length of her body to her tail. Then her tiny mouth worked, making a small squeak. As she started to wriggle, Misto set her down, dropped back onto all four paws and stuck his head of the rose bush. “Bomba! Bomba, she’s alright!”

Bomba turned to face him, wiping a tear away from her eyes. “What?”

“She’s alright!” Misto darted out and tugged her back into the small den she’d created for herself. “She’s alright.”

“She’s … Oh, thank Heavyside.” Bomba set about cleaning up her daughter as the kitten nosed her way towards food. “Thank you.” She added, looking up at him.

“Hey, you don’t have to thank me.” Misto said. “I’m just glad she’s okay. I should get back to the junkyard.”

Bomba looked up sharply as her kitten began to nurse. “You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“Even Tugger?” Misto asked. “She’s his daughter …”

“Tugger doesn’t want kittens.” Bomba said quietly. “Or me.”

Misto opened his mouth to argue, but shut it again. It wasn’t his place to tell Bomba how Tugger felt about her, and she wouldn’t believe him anyway.

“It’s better this way.” Bomba whispered. “Please don’t tell anyone about this.”

Misto sighed. “They’ll catch your scent, but I won’t tell anyone about her. I’ll just say you’re sick and the family’s taken you inside.”

Bomba nodded, relaxing. “Thank you.”

“You won’t be able to keep her a secret though.” Misto pointed out. “What are you going to do?”

Bomba smiled. “I’m going to stay here until she’s weaned. And then I’m going to ‘find’ her in an alley.”

Misto rolled his eyes. “I think you’re being paranoid, but alright. I’ll meet you at the edge of the junkyard, make it look a bit more believable.”

“You don’t think they’ll believe me?” Bomba questioned.

“I think you’ve been gone just under nine weeks and showing up in six weeks time with a six-week-old baby looks a bit suspicious.” Misto answered calmly. “Especially since she’s the spitting image of you.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Bomba purred proudly, nuzzling her daughter. “But how will you know I’m on my way back?”

“Same way I knew you were here.” Misto said confidently. “I’ll know. Stay safe.”

“You too.” Bomba returned. “Head east, not west. There’s a Pollicle pack in the western alleyways that you _don’t_ want to cross.”

“I’ll be alright.” Misto assured her. He started to creep back out into the garden, but stopped and turned around. “What’s her name?”

“Jemima.” Bomba answered without hesitation. “Her name’s Jemima.”


End file.
